How to Move or Ship a Printer Without Damaging It (Inkjet, EcoTank and Laser)

Quick answer: to move or ship a printer safely, turn it off with its power button (not by pulling the plug) so the print head parks and caps, then unplug it and remove all paper. What happens next depends on the type. Cartridge inkjets: leave the cartridges installed (Canon's manuals say so explicitly) so the print head doesn't dry out; tape the covers shut and keep it upright. Ink tank printers like the Epson EcoTank: set the transport lock, screw the tank caps on tight, bag the printer, and never pack opened ink bottles in the box. Laser printers: let the fuser cool, then remove the toner and drum, seal them in a bag away from light, and tape the trays and doors. Box it snugly, mark it THIS SIDE UP, and never lay it on its side.

Updated October 11, 2026 · By William Elward, founder of Castle Ink (helping people with printers and ink since 2005)

Printers often come out of a move worse than they went in. The usual problem isn't a cracked case. It's ink that has leaked inside, a print head that dried out because it was left uncapped, or a carriage that broke loose and bounced around in transit. Each of those is preventable with ten minutes of preparation.

This guide covers moving across town, moving house, and shipping a printer by carrier, for cartridge inkjets, ink tank printers and laser printers.

Is It Worth Moving Your Printer at All?

Usually yes, but run the numbers on a cheap inkjet first. If you'd have to buy a box and packing material and pay to ship a printer that cost under $80 new, replacing it at the other end can be cheaper. A move is also a natural point to look at whether an ink tank printer would save you money. For anything mid-range or better, or any ink tank printer full of ink, moving it is worth the effort.

Step 1: Before You Unplug Anything

1. Print a test page. It gives you a "before" picture, so if quality is worse after the move you'll know the move caused it. Use our free printer test page.
2. Write down or photograph the Wi-Fi details. Note the printer's network name and IP address from its settings. If you're moving homes, you'll be connecting it to a new router anyway.
3. Finish or cancel any print jobs.
4. Turn it off with the power button. This is the most important step. Wait until the lights go out and the carriage stops moving. On inkjets, this shutdown is when the print head moves to its home position and gets capped to keep the nozzles from drying. Canon's manuals tell you to leave the cartridges installed and turn the power off with the ON button for exactly this reason.
5. Then unplug the power cord and all cables. Canon specifically warns not to unplug while the power lamp is still lit or flashing.
6. Remove all paper from the trays and any originals from the scanner glass. Remove detachable accessories such as output tray extensions and duplexers if they come off easily.

How to Pack a Cartridge Inkjet (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother)

This is the most common home printer: the kind where you swap individual ink cartridges.

1. Leave the cartridges in. On most modern cartridge inkjets, removing them leaves the print head (or the cartridge's own nozzles) exposed to air. Some older Epson models asked you to remove and bag the cartridges, so if you still have the manual, follow it. If you don't, leaving them installed and capped is the safer default.
2. Secure the carriage. Open the access door and check the carriage is parked at the side. If your manual shows tape positions, tape the carriage to the frame with painter's tape or the low-tack tape that came with the printer. Canon's TS-series manuals, for example, show taping the carriage in two places.
3. Tape all covers and trays shut so nothing swings open. Use low-tack tape that won't leave residue.
4. Put the printer in a plastic bag and tape it closed. If anything does leak, it stays in the bag instead of soaking the box.
5. Box it bottom-down with padding on all sides (see Step 3 below).

Got spare cartridges? Keep sealed ones in their packaging. A cartridge that's been opened but isn't in the printer should go in a zip-top bag, nozzles up. Our guide to how long ink cartridges last covers storage and shelf life.

How to Pack an Ink Tank Printer (Epson EcoTank, Canon MegaTank, HP Smart Tank)

Tank printers are the riskiest to move, because they hold far more liquid ink and the tanks are open to the print head. Epson's EcoTank manuals spell out a specific procedure:

1. Turn the printer off with the power button, wait for the light to go off, and unplug it.
2. Disconnect all cables and remove all paper.
3. Set the transportation lock to the locked (Transport) position. On EcoTanks with this lock, it shuts off the ink supply so ink can't leak from the head in transit. If the print head isn't where the manual shows, move it there by hand.
4. Tape the print head to the case as the manual shows.
5. Screw each ink tank cap on securely and close the ink tank cover.
6. Close the scanner unit gently, put the printer in its plastic bag, and pack it with the protective materials.
7. Keep it upright and level. Lift it from the sides, not the front and back, as Epson's guide says.

Ink bottles: Epson says not to pack opened ink bottles in the box with the printer. Tighten the caps, keep them upright, bag them, and carry them separately, away from heat. Not every tank printer has a transport lock; if yours doesn't, check the manual for "transporting" or "storing" the printer. Some models require you to drain or fill-to-level before shipping.

How to Pack a Laser Printer

1. Let it cool. The fuser runs at around 180–200 °C. Give it 30 minutes after the last print.
2. Remove the toner cartridge and drum unit (on many Brother, Canon and Xerox models these come out together). Toner can spill out of a cartridge that gets jostled in the machine, and you don't want loose toner coating the inside of the printer.
3. Seal them in a plastic bag, ideally the one they came in, and keep the drum out of light. The drum's coating is light-sensitive; a few minutes is fine, hours in daylight is not.
4. Tape the paper trays and doors shut.
5. Pack the toner and drum in the same box as the printer, wrapped and wedged so they can't move, or carry them yourself.

Laser printers are heavy for their size, and paper trays often slide out when lifted. Lift from the handholds on the sides, never by a tray. If toner did spill, our guide to getting ink and toner off hands, skin and clothes covers the cleanup, and the short version is: cold water only, and no household vacuum.

Step 3: Boxing and Transporting the Printer

• Original box is best. The molded foam is shaped for that printer. If you don't have it, use a sturdy box a few inches bigger than the printer on every side and fill the gaps with foam, bubble wrap or crumpled packing paper so nothing shifts.
• Mark the box "THIS SIDE UP" with arrows on every side, and "FRAGILE." Canon's guidance is to keep the box flat and never turn it upside down or on its side, because that can damage the printer and cause ink to leak.
• In a car, put it on the floor or a seat, not in a hot trunk. Extreme heat thins ink and can warp plastic; extreme cold can thicken ink.
• Shipping by carrier? Pack it to survive a drop. Carriers are not gentle with "fragile" labels, so the padding does the real work. If it's a valuable printer, consider insuring the shipment.

Step 4: After the Move

1. Let it reach room temperature before powering on, especially in winter. An hour or two is enough. Condensation inside a cold printer is bad news for electronics.
2. Remove all tape, inside and out. Leftover tape on the carriage causes "carriage jam" errors.
3. Unlock the transport lock on an ink tank printer (set it to the Print position).
4. Reinstall toner and drum on a laser printer, rocking the toner cartridge gently side to side first to even out the powder.
5. Run a nozzle check (inkjets). If there are gaps, run one cleaning cycle and check again. Epson's guidance is to clean and align the print head if print quality has declined after transport. If one or two cycles don't fix it, see how to clean print heads.
6. Connect to your new Wi-Fi. Our Wi-Fi setup guide for HP, Canon, Epson and Brother walks through it. If it connects but keeps dropping, see why your printer keeps going offline.
7. Print a test page and compare it with the one you printed before the move.

Common Problems After Moving a Printer

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I remove ink cartridges before moving a printer?

For most modern cartridge inkjets, no. Canon's manuals, for example, say to leave them in and turn the printer off with the power button so the print head is capped. Removing them can let the nozzles dry out. A few older models asked you to remove and bag them, so follow your manual if you have it.

Can I transport a printer on its side?

Avoid it. Laying an inkjet or ink tank printer on its side or upside down is the most common cause of ink leaking inside. Keep it upright and level.

Can I move an Epson EcoTank without the original box?

Yes, as long as you set the transport lock, cap the tanks tightly, bag the printer, and pack it snugly upright in a sturdy box. Without a transport lock, keep it absolutely level and carry it yourself if you can.

Should I remove the toner cartridge from a laser printer before moving it?

Yes. Remove the toner and drum, seal them in a bag away from light, and pack them so they can't shift. It prevents toner from spilling inside the printer.

Can a printer freeze in a moving truck?

Ink can thicken or separate in cold, and condensation forms when a cold printer comes into a warm room. Keep it in the cab if you can, and let it warm up to room temperature before switching it on.

How do I store a printer I won't use for months?

Pack it the same way, and store it indoors at room temperature. Inkjets are better off printing a page every week or two; if that's not possible, expect to run a cleaning cycle when you bring it back. See does printer ink expire? for what happens to ink in storage.

Keep Printing

Moving is a good time to restock, since a fresh start at a new place usually means a lot of printing. Find the right supplies for your model on our Find Ink by Printer page, or shop Epson, HP and Canon ink and laser toner. Need a sturdy box and packing material? Here's a packing supplies search on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Castle Ink earns from qualifying purchases.

Something else wrong after the move? The printer troubleshooting center has a fix for nearly every common printer problem.

Sources

• Epson: Transporting and storing the printer (EcoTank L8160 series user's guide)
• Epson: How should I transport my product?
• Canon: Transporting your printer (TS6500 series online manual)